Hidden Realms

by Dean Murray

  "Vincent!"

  My voice hit him at the same time I cut loose with my own power and sent it down the steps like a crackling wave. Vincent backpedaled from Isaac faster than anything human could have managed, and the people ahead of me pressed back unconsciously against the unseen pressure flowing from me.

  Vincent was attempting to edge away from us now, but Isaac shifted just enough to cut off his egress. For the first time in ages I saw actual fear on Vincent's face. He'd assumed he'd be able to continue to provoke Isaac at will without paying any kind of price, but Isaac apparently wasn't willing to just ignore the latest threat.

  We worked in tandem, closing in on Vincent with the inevitability of time. I didn't want a fight here in front of all these witnesses, but Isaac was within his rights to want satisfaction from Vincent, and I wasn't about to leave him alone with a killer like Vincent.

  Vincent suddenly grabbed Blaine Casperson and shoved him towards Isaac with enough force that the kid nearly went over the railing. Isaac grabbed Blaine, but Vincent was already moving. He used the distraction to escape down the stairs and what seemed like half the student body surged around Isaac to congratulate him.

  I wasn't interested in the kind of fawning that usually followed a fight, so I quietly slipped past everyone and down to the cafeteria. Rachel found me as I finished paying for my food. She stretched to get close to my ear and whispered.

  "You need to find Jasmin right now. If you don't hurry she's going to do something stupid."

  Most alphas wouldn't have even dreamed of taking orders from a human, sister or not, but Rachel had earned my trust a hundred times over. I left the food where it was and headed towards Jasmin's lit class. Her scent trail led me outside into the parking lot just in time to see her Mercedes go roaring out onto the main road.

  I raced to my Porsche, turned it on and hit fifty before I had to break to get onto the road. She was headed towards Brandon's pack's territory and I knew I had to stop her before she gave him an excuse to bring the Coun'hij into the picture.

  Jasmin had all of the enhanced reflexes of a moonborn, but she'd never spent enough time behind the wheel to acquire an intimate knowledge of what her vehicle was capable of, and I used that against her ruthlessly.

  She blew through a four-way stop at fifty and I followed right on her heels. She slowed to thirty to take a ninety-degree turn and I slung the Porsche around at fifty with all four wheels squealing as the high-performance rubber fought a losing battle with inertia.

  I had an edge in acceleration and I caught her about the time she hit eighty. The face that looked back at me in the rear-view mirror wasn't rational, so I took the only route remaining and put the front end of my car into the back corner of hers with enough force to push her off into a fallow field.

  I hit my head hard enough to see stars, but still managed to pull myself out of the car before Jasmin. She wasn't much behind me though, and I had to muster every ounce of speed to tackle her before she broke away across the field. We hit hard enough that the energy converted into a roll and she came up spitting and hissing.

  She lunged at me but I sidestepped her and used her momentum to bring her around and down onto her stomach. She tried to spin around, but I kept pressure up on the arm bar I'd put on her, and after four or five minutes she calmed down enough to talk.

  "You can't stop me. You don't know what he did. I'll sneak away and kill their parents while you're not looking."

  "You're right, I don't know what he did, and I probably won't unless you tell me; but I can and I will stop you."

  The look in her fierce blue eyes seemed to promise terrible things, but I reached down and coaxed my beast close enough to the surface to raise power and then pushed it at her like a metaphysical slap.

  "Jasmin, I don't want to have to repeat myself. If you bring their parents into this they'll attack Donovan and Andrew. They'll come after James' mother and mine. If that happens I'll disavow you so quick that you'll have the Dark Hunt on your tail before the day is out."

  She stopped struggling and there was hurt in her manner for the first time since I'd pinned her. "I wouldn't want anything to happen to Donovan or the others. I just didn't think about their likely response."

  "That's the problem, Jas. You don't think when you get really mad; you just react. Usually you keep it under better control than this. What's going on?"

  She shook her head as tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes. I hadn't seen her cry for years. Even when she'd been young, with all of the terrible things her father had done, she'd rarely cried.

  "I can't tell you. I won't."

  I finally let go of her and stood up. "We both know I don't have the leverage to really force you to do anything, but you're on thin ice."

  She rolled to her feet and stalked back to the Mercedes without saying anything. We pushed both vehicles back onto the road and then she headed back towards school. I examined the mostly cosmetic damage to the Porsche with a sigh, and then followed her.

  We'd missed Chem. I was missing a lot of class lately. Donovan would cover for me, but there were limits even to what he could do. Eventually I'd bump up against the state's mandatory attendance policy. I supposed I could always get my GED, if I somehow lived long enough to make that a necessity.

  I stopped at a bathroom and repaired the worst of the damage to my clothing. Luckily I was wearing dark colors, so the wear and tear from wrestling a crazed wolf didn't show all that badly.

  We had a sub again in Physics. I almost turned and left, but I felt a hunger to be treated like a human being. Not the protective older brother, or the domineering alpha, just a regular person. I didn't truly know what Adri was, but either way I could count on her to treat me at least as poorly as she'd treat anyone else.

  I probably would have left regardless if I'd realized what kind of reception I was going to get from the rest of the class. A number of female hearts sped up as I weaved through desks to get to my corner in the back. I assumed my seat with a silent prayer that the sub would keep everyone under control.

  I couldn't have been further off base. As soon as he'd finished with the roll he released us all to work on our 'group projects'.

  The girls were the first ones to head back to my corner. Apparently Vincent was even more disliked than I'd realized. I was almost immediately surrounded by normally sensible females who suddenly couldn't say enough about how brave Isaac and I were.

  I politely answered their questions and tried to deflect their admiration, but they were like bloodhounds on a scent, and the boys from the class quickly joined to turn it into even more of a zoo.

  I managed to sneak a couple glances at Adri, who seemed thoroughly disgusted. She'd given up on studying and was sketching something.

  Surrounded as I was, there was no way to stop the girls from brushing up against me, and I was beginning to think rudeness was going to be required to break things up before they started addicting themselves to my touch.

  Luckily the sub chose that moment to intervene. He slammed his hand down on the desk like a gunshot. "I told you all to keep it to a dull roar. I want everyone away from that back corner. Get back to your seats."

  Adri was drawing again. I found myself overcome by curiosity. This wasn't something I'd known about her. Without thinking, I cleared my throat to get her attention and ventured a smile. She tilted her head to one side as if to tell me to hurry up and get to the point.

  "Sorry, I can tell you're not really in the mood to work on our project, especially with all of the racket today, but I saw you limping down the stairs just before lunch. Are you okay?"

  Impatience was replaced with disgust for no apparent reason, and she turned back to her drawing.

  "I'll be okay. Just a little sprain."

  I flipped open a book and pretended to read while watching Adri out of the corner of my eye. I was just able to make out the drawing as it took shape. She wasn't exceptional, but seemed completely immersed in the experience, and t
he picture actually wasn't all that bad.

  An oblong pond surrounded a tiny, crescent island. A number of trees served as the only other detail, but my study of the piece was interrupted when I realized that Adri's heart was once again racing to dangerous speeds. I'd had enough experience with her attacks now to realize one was in the offing. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind in an attempt to distract her.

  "Hey, that's really pretty good. Is that a real place?"

  She nodded wordlessly, but the attack was even closer.

  "What's it called?"

  Her response was so quiet as to almost be inaudible. "Monster Lake."

  I was losing the battle, but I wasn't sure what else to do. Another question popped out of my mouth without conscious effort on my part.

  "Was that close to your house in Minnesota? I…"

  She suddenly stopped breathing, and I lunged towards her just in time to stop her from hitting her head on the ground.

  Her breathing resumed as I picked her up and started looking for a way out through the sudden thicket of bodies that was forming as everyone rushed to see another of the actual attacks that the rumors had made famous.

  Her eyes flickered open and for a brief second her mask wasn't in place. She looked up at me with such complete trust it felt like something reached inside of me and rearranged pieces that hadn't moved in years.

  "Stand back, everyone, and let me through!" The sub was yelling like an ox, but making little actual progress. I registered my surroundings, but my attention was focused on Adri. I saw the mask click back into place as she came fully back to consciousness.

  The substitute had finally pushed his way through to us, and based upon his breathing and elevated pulse was only a few seconds from a panic attack of his own.

  "What's going on? Is she okay?"

  I stood, Adri still in my arms, and began pushing my way out through the path he'd just made. "I think she'll be fine, but maybe I should get her to the nurse. Just to be sure."

  Adri started squirming in my grasp as she realized she'd made a spectacle of herself again.

  "There's really no need. I'm fine. I don't need to see the nurse."

  She tried to thrash around, but I carefully immobilized her and continued onwards. I paused at the door to get final permission to leave.

  "You hit your head pretty hard; I really think we should get you to the office. Sir, with your permission?"

  He nodded and I headed out into the hall, but I was busy making a note of the fact she'd calmed down instantly when I'd mentioned the possibility of a head injury.

  "Let go of my hands."

  Mindful of the fact that she'd been limping, I gently set her down, and then had to restrain a chuckle as she began probing the back of her head.

  "What are you doing? You didn't actually hit your head. I caught you before you hit the ground."

  "Please, every other time I've dropped that quickly I've totally banged myself up. You were on the other side of my desk, there's no way you got all the way around it and managed to catch me before I hit the ground."

  I felt my expression freeze as I realized I'd once again risked exposure to save her. "Believe what you will. There's no reason to worry about a concussion."

  "Then why did you tell the sub I'd hit my head?"

  There was honest curiosity in her voice and I looked away, buying myself time to decide whether or not to tell her the truth.

  "I presumed you wouldn't want to stay and be subject to everyone's questions. You seem not to like people prying about your attacks, and you were less happy than usual today. I thought you could use the break."

  I hadn't expected gushing praise necessarily, but I didn't expect the amount of venom she rounded on me with.

  "I looked unhappy today? You, who never crack a smile unless you're going to get something out of it, were concerned about the fact I wasn't all smiles and giggles? Maybe you should flunk a test or two. Only it doesn't really count unless your dad, you know, the one who used to make your birthdays really special, is gone."

  I was too stunned to respond. I started to reach out to her, but she stepped away before I could touch her.

  "Don't try and pretend you're sorry. You were just looking for an excuse to get out of class once all of the hero worship dried up. Well, I got you out and you helped me avoid all of the stupid questions everyone would've asked, so we're even."

  I watched her stomp off, and then turned around and headed back to Physics. I reassured everyone that she'd be okay, and breathed a mental sigh of relief when nobody pushed for more information.

  Everyone was still clustered around the front of the room talking. Nobody had gotten around to righting the fallen desks, so I picked them back up and then gathered her books. The Monster Lake picture had torn free of her binder, and I hesitated for just the briefest second before pocketing it. The bell rang as I pulled my things together.

  Pre-cal passed by in a haze as I replayed Adri's attack and our resulting conversation again and again. It was remotely possible she really was that good of an actor, but more and more I didn't believe it. Only if she was a human, then I was starting to realize just how big of a mistake I'd made.

  More subdued than I'd been in a very long time, I followed Jasmin home. Donovan came out to meet us, and frowned at the obvious damage to both vehicles.

  "I took care of it, and it's not worth talking about, Donovan. Can you please have them both repaired?"

  There were unanswered questions in his eyes still, but the code he lived by wouldn't allow him to push. He nodded and then retired back into the house. Jasmin followed him, but I was too unsettled to go inside myself.

  I wandered out to the green house and began pruning some of the roses that I'd been neglecting lately. The cool, white petals seemed to reach inside me and pull at things that were fresh and wounded. I tried my best to put the thoughts, the lingering scent of Adri out of my mind, and started working my way down the aisle.

  Rachel's arrival interrupted the first measure of peace I'd managed to find in what felt like weeks. "Alec, you have to help her."

  I shook my head in confusion as I tried to transition back to reality. "What are you talking about?"

  "It's Adri. Something is wrong again. It's her birthday, but it's more than that. She seems so sad. I'm worried about her."

  Of course. How could I have not realized her earlier reference meant today was her birthday?

  "She said something to that effect earlier, but I didn't put it all together. I think she's still mourning whatever happened to her father."

  Rachel nodded in sudden understanding as her eyes started to brighten with unshed tears.

  "Her mom isn't around very much. She's kind of like us, a bunch of near-orphans with too much baggage."

  I pulled Rachel into a hug and then blotted her tears with the edge of my sleeve. "It's okay, Rach. I'll do what I can for her."

  It wasn't the kind of promise I should be making. Even if she was just a normal human, there were so many other things that should be taking priority, but I wasn't talking as the pack leader anymore. It was just Alec who was making that promise, who wanted to help for more reasons than just making Rachel happy.

  I sat motionless for several seconds after Rachel left, and then finally picked out the best specimen of all the roses and cut the cane down near the base of the plant. The petals were just starting to unfold enough for the scent to make its way out of the purple-edged prison.

  I leaned forward to smell it, and the fragrance of the rose mixed with the remnants of Rachel's tears to make something that created an ache deep inside me. It wasn't Rachel's tears I was thinking about, it was Adri's. I suddenly had the answer to a question that had plagued me for months.

  Lagrimas del Angel. It was a perfect name for the plant that none but another shape shifter would ever truly understand.

  Pushed by a growing urgency to carry out my errand, I returned to the house, quietly raiding the draw
er where Rachel kept all of her stationary and ribbons. A few minutes later the note was written, secured to the flower with a dark green ribbon, and traveling on the front seat of our Escalade.

  I backed the vehicle in between a pair of trees that would partially shield it from prying eyes, and then started cross-country to get to the Paige house. I stopped at the tree I'd referenced in my last note, and found with mingled relief and disappointment that it was empty. It was good that things weren't bad enough for her to need the services of her mysterious protector, but I found myself hungering for more contact with her.

  I crept up the steps, only to nearly stumble as I realized the cause of the erratic heartbeat just audible from inside the house. She was experiencing a series of attacks one right after the other.

  I carefully set the rose down on the doorstep and then knocked firmly on the door. I'd covered the distance to the nearest set of trees and taken up position behind the dense underbrush by the time she made her halting way up to the door. It almost caused me physical pain to see how bad her limp had become, but I found a measure of relief as she read my note and then brought the rose up to her beautiful, tear-streaked face.

  I watched until long after she'd retreated back into her home.

  Chapter 15

  It was amazing just how quickly you could get a Porsche fixed if you had money to burn. Donovan spent an alarming amount of money accomplishing his magic, but my car was ready when the time arrived to go to Vegas.

  Unfortunately a new wrinkle had arisen. When I'd promised Rachel she could go to Les Misérables I hadn't known I was going to be using the production to test Adriana's humanity. I would have still been agreeable with the idea of her going if there'd been a way to ensure her safety. I'd always planned on clearing the seats to either side of Adri, I didn't want to put any more innocents in the line of fire than I had to, but when I offered to swap tickets with Suzanne, I'd been surprised to find out that she'd already traded spots with my little sister.